Blog

MCM Birmingham Comic Con November 2017

Birmingham Comic Con time, now normally I would be really excited for this show and especially since this year we were trading next to our good friends Curious Creations but unlucky for me, I was SICK AS FCUK! Yep, first time ever I’d actually come down with a bug right before a convention. It was not going to be an easy weekend.

If that wasn’t bad enough, don’t forget that I also had to say a teary goodbye to my furry baby.

I look terrible!

It was time to cowboy the fcuk up and just get on with it! So with a car full of tissues, nose spray, medication and lozenges, we made the 3 hour drive to Birmingham. Luckily it wasn’t so bad and we did actually arrive in one piece. Feeling like shit and trying to set up is not fun, not to mention that we were right in front of the unloading doors which meant I was also totally freezing. Awesome!

I didn’t have much faith in myself to get set up completed but I did as much as I physically could and it wasn’t long before I was just desperate to get to the hotel, have a hot meal and collapse. The good thing about the NEC in Birmingham is that it’s really not necessary to have a hotel within walking distance so you can save quite a few pennies by staying outside the venue. Our hotel was about a 15 minute drive away, on the outskirts of Coventry.

Nice and comfy – just what I needed.

The hotel was nice enough and did a really cheap 3 course dinner deal which Bret and I signed up for straight away. No food photos this time because it was help yourself and let’s face it, the plate never looks pretty when you help yourself. Just a mountain of food like Richard Dreyfuss’s dinner table in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. After dinner, we had a quick drink at that bar and then back to our room so I could make tea, get into bed and feel sorry for myself.

Pasty face! But cool Star Lord t-shirt 😉

Sleep was next on the agenda, I was going to need all my energy for tomorrow.

Thank the lord for a hot breakfast when you’re not feeling 100%. After a full belly and a dose of medication, we were on our way to the NEC to finish setting up.

I’m not sure how I managed it!

I was feeling a lot worse than the day before but the show must go on and I had amazing stuff to sell 😉 Luckily for me, my friends Curious Creations had to bring their daughters with them which turned out to be a blessing for sure. Those girls actually stopped me from sitting behind my table and sulking all weekend, they were the sweetest, most adorable girls on the planet and made my weekend a whole lot of fun for me.

Now normally, we would have about 1000001 pointless selfies by now but being ill really does suck the fun out of it. But, not wanting to disappoint, we did mange to force out a bunch.

See, I can still look stupid even when I’m ill!

I even managed a bathroom selfie! Woah!

I want my bed!

Despite not feeling great, I was still having a good time and managed to sneak off on a Guardians of the Galaxy merchandise hunt. I managed to find a Baby Groot talking notebook (seriously) and a bunch of really cool badges and keychains. If that wasn’t awesome enough, my lovely friend Sue from Curious Creations bought me a Baby Groot to cheer me up.

How freaking adorable is he?

Admitedly it had been a long day, conventions are hard work anyway and when you’re not well they really do drain you. Even more draining, is when your son decides to steal your crown:

It’s Princess Bret everyone!

Oh and just incase you didn’t know where we were:

Bret, stating the obvious! Sorry, Princess Bret.

Back at the hotel, it was another delicious 3 course meal and then a bottle of wine from the bar which I took back to my room with me. Although before making a dash for my bed, I had something very important to do.

Check out my Guardians of the Galaxy t-shirt.

Isn’t it just the most awesome t-shirt ever? Another amazing gift from my bestest friends at Curious Creations. I know I say it a lot but you really do need to check out their stuff. They honestly have some of the best merchandise you’ll ever find or ever need. It’s not just t-shirts too, but Sue is one of the most talented people I have ever met in my life and makes the most gorgeous cushions, throws, hair accessories, everything! Just go check them out, I promise you will not be disappointed. Broke yes, but not disappointed.

I tell you what though, there’s nothing better than being in bed, all cosy and warm, with a bottle of Prosecco and watching Posideon on the TV. Now this is the life I could get used to. Hurray for business trips!

The next morning I felt worse than ever! Fantastic. I literally had to force myself to eat breakfast because I knew it was going to be a long day and then a long trip home and I needed all the help I could get. We then checked out of our hotel and made our way to the NEC. To be honest, at this point, I was just looking forward to going home.

I wasn’t up to much today, I saved all my energy for my customers but I did manage just one bathroom selfie.

I look like crap! But at least I made an effort to be festive.

That was all I could manage for the entire day. Bret on the other hand was busy meeting all the cosplayers as usual. So here are a few of our favourites from the weekend:

Bob “Deadpool” Ross and Fallout’s NCR Veteran Ranger

Ash Williams & Beetlejuice

My favourite! Predators <3

So there you have it, my very first convention as a poorly trader. Not something I recommend I can tell you. However, somehow I managed to get through it without passing out or bursting into tears. I still had a great weekend though and enjoyed every second. As always I would like to thank each and every one of my customers for stopping by and making a purchase. Also I would like to thank my friends Curious Creations and their beautiful girls for getting me through the weekend.

This was our last show for 2017, we had a long 3 and half month break before our next which of course we needed because it was one of our biggest events of the year. I could only hope I would be in better health next time.